


Kickstart my heart

by Kalee60



Series: Kalee's AU Extravaganza [6]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hospital, Bottom Bucky Barnes, Explicit Sexual Content, Human Disaster Bucky Barnes, M/M, Minor Injuries, Misunderstandings, Natasha Romanov Is a Good Bro, Pining, Top Steve Rogers, doctor steve
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:40:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27449551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalee60/pseuds/Kalee60
Summary: Bucky’s Wednesday wasn’t off to a great start. Not only did he wake up in a hospital with his annoyed best friend staring down at him, his treating Doctor just happened to be way too familiar, and the reason for that was slightly mortifying.With misunderstandings in the air, a snarky nurse who is a pain in his butt and the ugliest neck brace known to man attached to his body. There was no way his Wednesday was ever going to improve. Could it?
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Series: Kalee's AU Extravaganza [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1858591
Comments: 118
Kudos: 559
Collections: Bucky Barnes Bingo 2020, Stucky Bingo 2020





	Kickstart my heart

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all,
> 
> Hope you're all doing amazing at the moment - what a week... Phew!! Too much happened to unpack but I hope everyone is healthy and happy :)
> 
> So here is my 6th offering for kalees AU extravaganza - hospital - I knew exactly what I wanted to do with this one and although it's not a huge twist on the traditional trope - I hope you enjoy it none the less. Also I don't know the US hospital system well - so just go with a little hand wavy action in places if it's not correct :)
> 
> This also fills two bingo squares:  
> Bucky Barnes bingo: U2 - speed dating  
> Stucky bingo: C3 - free square

Bucky came to, groggy, staring up at moving lights. Not cool moving lights like spotting a potential alien aircraft when stargazing,  _ no _ , these were evenly spaced on a white roof and very bright, making him wince, which in turn hurt his big toe. Hang on,  _ they _ weren’t moving, Bucky was. What the hell had happened? And why was his big toe now intimately connected with his eyesight?   
“James? Can you hear me?”

He flicked his eyes to the right, seeing a very familiar face frowning down at him, wearing  _ very _ familiar scrubs and groaned.  _ Fuck _ . He’d crashed his motorbike. Actually, no he hadn’t - some moron had come out of nowhere, clipping him, trying to rush forward to gain only two car lengths. He hoped it was worth it.

“Nat?” he croaked.

“You’re an idiot, I told you not to buy a motorbike in New York.”

He tried to huff out a derisive laugh, having had this argument with her too many times in the last five years, but his ribs screamed at him.

“I thought nurses were supposed to be caring,” he grit out, trying to move his head and finding he couldn’t. “Did you  _ collar _ me? Like a neutered dog?”

“Yes, James. That’s what we do to people brought in with suspected spinal injuries, it stops them trying to lick their balls when getting x-rays.”

He heard muffled laughter and couldn’t see the person steering his moving bed from the foot, but judging from the ‘hey man’ as they greeted another passing patient, he guessed it was Sam.  _ Great. _ Two snarky snarks for the price of one. 

Of course out of all the hospitals to be taken to, out of all the times a random douche-canoe in a huge SUV could have hit him off his pride and joy (of which he really wanted to know how she’d fared) he had to be brought into Nat’s,  _ while _ she was on shift. She was going to be even more insufferable now. He’d not thought that could be possible.

As his bed was wheeled straight through to emergency, Bucky lay still, cataloging the pain and where he thought it hurt the most, finding out a second later that he basically felt like one big bruise -  _ everything _ was tender. Flying across a road, even wearing all the correct safety gear, was never going to tickle. His leg was sore, the knee twisted, his back  _ did _ hurt, but not his neck, he didn’t believe it was severe enough for a neck brace and said as much.

“Are you a doctor or a nurse? Do you work in one of the largest hospitals in the world seeing accidents like this all the time? Did you spend part of your life studying into the early hours of the morning, stressing, doing exams and wiping peoples’ asses on placement to come to that conclusion?”

“Maybe… you don’t know  _ what _ I studied in my youth.” 

Nat glared at him, she was completely incensed and it took him too long to work out why. “I’m alright, Nat, I’m not going anywhere.”

She didn’t respond but he saw a twitch in her cheek, which meant that she’d heard and appreciated the words. He smiled, then grimaced when his ankle throbbed, really? Was everything connected?

“Nowhere except across two lanes of traffic right?” Sam piped up.

“Don’t make things worse, Sam,” Bucky said, trying to look up at him, gasping as pain shot down his leg. “Damn it.”

“Not your finest moment, Buck. Bad timing as well, I was hoping that I’d be able to get some of that chocolate pistachio cake tomorrow at games night.”

“Sorry, pal,” Bucky said and shut his eyes for a bit, it was  _ way  _ too bright. “Plus I was making cashew, they’re my favourite.”

“Not all about you.” Sam teased back as they entered the emergency room, where beeping, yelling, crying and a smell that could only be described as a mix of bleach and stress flooded his senses. He hated hospitals. 

He was immediately placed in a corner space, a curtain the only privacy between him and the next person over, who by all accounts of the dry-retching and waft of secondhand whiskey, had arrived completely hammered. 

Bucky eyed Nat, trying to ask what was happening without speaking but she gave him a flat look. Fine, it’s not as if  _ he _ needed to know what was going on with his body. 

“He’s been triaged?” A young brunette guy who could not have been older than twelve asked.

“When did you hire Doogie Houser?” Bucky hissed at Nat who gave him yet another flat look. Maybe the painkillers they’d administered in the ambulance  _ didn't _ give him the ability to speak directly into her mind. 

“Paramedics rang ahead and said…” Nat’s voice trailed off as she walked away with the child dressed in scrubs, chatting quickly, lots of hand expressions. He knew they’d be back for his insurance information in a minute, and tried to get his brain working properly, it was hard.

He glanced at Sam, who was writing something on a clipboard, giving Bucky a wide gap toothed grin a second later, “Pete’s the ED Administrator,  _ not _ a doctor. Look I gotta go, the button on your bed is to get attention, you shouldn’t be in too much pain at the moment, are you?” At Bucky’s head shake, Sam continued, “cool, so the doctor will be here as soon as he can to assess you, but the X-ray is backlogged so you just have to wait. And  _ don’t _ move.”

“Pal, I've barely had time to sleep lately, so I’m  _ not  _ moving if I don’t have to, but Helga? Can you see what happened to her?”

Sam rolled his eyes, “Why you’d name a bike… look I’ll call Riley, see if he can find out.”

Bucky smiled and gave a thumbs up, which hurt his ear as Sam walked off towards another bed being rolled in. Sam's husband Riley was a cop, and could at least ask around if Helga had been retrieved. 

He’d not been lying when he’d mentioned sleep had been eluding him. Darcy and he had their own dessert catering company, and although it had finally got off the ground in the last six months, he’d not caught up or had time to rest, early starts and late nights didn’t help. Bucky and Darcy’s Sugar Memories - BDSM - not Darcy’s finest idea, as some of the calls they got were intriguing to be fair, had created their own niche in a flooded dessert market by catering to specific memories, adding pictures, words and tastes to a huge array of baked goods that they made onsite at their Brooklyn based store. But he hoped Nat hadn’t called her yet - he didn’t need Darcy coming down to rip him a new one - he might already have a new one ripped already, he had no idea of the damage done.

All in all, Bucky knew he was lucky, his insurance would cover whatever needed to be done, and he honestly didn’t think he was damaged beyond all repair, so he took the rare opportunity to rest. As he closed his eyes, Bucky started to doze to the sounds of someone filling a bucket with whiskey bile. It could’ve been a worse Wednesday.

Bucky didn’t doze long, it was almost impossible with everything going on, but he lay there and listened to the cacophony of noise going on around him, trying to pick voices, hearing Sam and Nat at different times, their cadences distinctive in the crowd. He also heard another deep rumbling voice that pricked at his memory, sounding like syrup, and wondered who it was, but was too tired to look.

When he felt someone taking his blood pressure for the thirtieth time in the space of ten minutes he opened his eyes to find Nat looking down at him. She still appeared pissed.

“Nurse, can I have some water?” He placed an extra whine in his voice and moved his leg, wincing at the pull of pain up his thigh. Shit, Nat had seen.

“No you can’t, but you know what - you can sell your bike.”

“How is that correlative?”

“It’s not.” Nat snapped back, undoing the cuff and writing something on the clipboard she’d thrown on the side of the bed. The pen scratched loudly and judgmentally.

“But… I’m poorly.”

“Are you for fuc -”

“Nat,” Sam laughed, appearing from nowhere, holding a plastic cup of refreshing crisp, clean water. He was a lifesaver. Bucky’s mouth went dry, the anticipation of cool liquid almost too much. 

“As brilliant as it is to see you two bicker, I have a duty of care.” Sam followed up.

“Exactly,” Bucky croaked, then watched as Sam proceeded to drink the water he’d just poured. “Sell your bike, Buck.”

“Oh for god's sake,” Bucky cried, glad to at least hear Nat laugh again, a straw was in his mouth a second later and he eagerly sipped from the fresh cup of water.

“Ah, here comes the doctor now. It's been bedlam here today.” Nat remarked, Sam already backing off to do nurse type duties, Bucky assumed, knowing in theory what they did for a living, but the practical was vastly different to what he’d imagined, they were holding the place together. “I’ll leave you to it, I’ve got to check on other more  _ important _ patients.”

Bucky looked down the end of the bed as Nat disappeared behind the next curtain, only to see a tall man with a neatly trimmed beard walking his way. His mouth went even drier and he spluttered - where the hell was that water?

He tried to move, knowing he was about to die of shame.  _ No _ , not even that, he would die from self combustion because his entire body was aflame and he couldn't move because Nat had put him in the most unattractive neck brace known to man. Bucky could do nothing but lay there, in ripped and torn clothing, messed up, as he watched a very familiar person, a  _ doctor _ , walk towards him, head bowed over a clipboard - not having seen Bucky yet.

Two things became apparent very quickly.

One, trying to jump off a hospital bed in a neck brace when he had a suspected leg, back or neck injury, to escape, was not a good idea.

Two, having the treating doctor rush over and kneel next to him as he lay sprawled on the floor like a limp rag was also not a pleasant feeling. Especially when that doctor happened to be your one night stand from five days earlier - who had not returned any of Bucky’s messages.

Could the day get any more fucking perfect?

  
  


“Bucky?”

“Hey Steve, long time no…” he trailed off, the last time he saw Steve, he was naked in his kitchen the morning after some of the most mindblowingly incredible sex of his life, “...see.”

Steve to his credit didn’t flush red like Bucky, but his eyes were wide with  _ something,  _ probably disbelief that Bucky had tried to escape like a fish out of water, flopping to the floor like a deranged snapper. Even his left testicle hurt now and he hadn't even fallen on his front.

The deep voice that had haunted his most recent fantasies called over Nat and Doogie to help Bucky up off the floor and back into the bed. Having Steve so close again, his spicy scent almost hidden under the white coat he wore swirled over him and Bucky would know it anywhere, that smell, knew it  _ intimately _ and he groaned and shut his eyes. This was not happening.

“That was quite the impressive... fall. Where does it hurt?” Steve’s voice asked insistently, right next to his head as they settled Bucky on the bed and he shivered, vibrating down to his toes, recalling the way Steve had husked ‘you gonna take me deep, Buck, until you scream, until you hurt good?’ into his ear from behind only a few nights earlier.

“I hope everywhere.” Nat retorted, breaking his thoughts, it was hardly the time to think about sex. But from his quick glance at Steve, it seemed his  _ doctor  _ wasn't thinking about the same moment as him. He looked more concerned about Bucky's injuries. Probably a good thing.

“Natasha!” Steve admonished, clearly shocked at her words, looking between the two of them, his eyes lingering ever so quickly on Bucky. The cursory up and down gaze somehow heating Bucky up, even though it was in a professional context.

“S’alright, she once bounced me off a trampoline into a brick wall.”

“Only because you went and ate my hotdog.”

“I thought you didn’t want it.”

“James. In what lifetime would I ever not want a… you know what, Dr Rogers here will take care of you, hopefully order a lobotomy, or maybe an enema to get you thinking straight again and not like a shithead.” Then she gave Steve a look, whose mouth was hanging agape and left. Peter Houser walked after her with a huge grin, like he couldn’t believe Nat had spoken to a patient in that way.

Bucky in the meantime wanted to die. He was on the bed, unable to move, staring straight up, stuck in a stupid cumbersome neck brace, while Steve looked down at him with an expression he couldn’t decipher. He didn’t even want to think about Steve giving him an enema, for  _ many  _ reasons. 

“James?” Steve questioned, and it wasn’t the first thing he expected Steve to ask in that deep voice, of which he thought he’d never hear again. He was kind of hoping for an apology about not calling back, then launching into a grand gesture of asking Bucky out properly. “I thought your name was Bucky? And how in the hell do you know Natasha?”

“Oh right, yeah, James is my given name that no one except Nat uses, purely because she is the bane of my existence. We met back in college, and I rue the day she saw my student ID, err, not that it matters," he was rambling like an idiot, lost in blue eyes that were staring deeply into his, "but, uh, Bucky, that’s what I prefer to be called."

Especially when he was being held down from behind and getting slammed into until his knees were bruised and raw.

"Sorry what was that?" Steve asked with a quirk to his brow and Bucky had a horrifying moment where he was certain he'd just said that out loud.

"Nothing. Nothing at all, might have been…” Bucky gestured the whiskey-spewers way, the sound of which made the whole situation,  _ not _ a romantic comedy.

Steve hummed in response, and Bucky let out a tight breath when he finally looked down at the clipboard he held, and gave a small half smile that made Bucky’s heart leap - did he injure that too? “Motorbike in New York hey? I didn’t realise you were an adrenaline junkie.”

Bucky wanted to argue that if Steve had responded to his text, then he might have found it out firsthand. Instead it appeared Steve was going to ignore the fact they knew each other, well, had met at speed-dating, fucked each other raw over the course of twelve hours, only to ignore Bucky after specifically ensuring he had his number. “Well, I guess a three minute date doesn’t really give you a lot of context.”

And, there he was. Bucky the blabber, the ‘can’t keep anything inside to save his life’ guy. What the hell was in those painkillers? An old spy remedy? A truth serum?

“But you…” Steve stopped and looked around quickly and Bucky had the horrific realisation that maybe he wasn’t out, that no-one knew he was bi, or maybe Steve didn’t want the association of dating someone like Bucky, a baker who to be fair was not very prestigious, he wore combat boots in the kitchen after all. He’d also not told Bucky he was a doctor when they'd met either. Bucky’s head hurt too much to try and decipher it.

“Forget it, just tell me what’s wrong, Doc.” Bucky finally breathed and shut his eyes, but not before seeing the small confused frown on Steve’s face.

The curtain made a swooshing noise and the parody of privacy fell over them, Bucky opened his eyes as he felt Steve’s hand on his leg, pressing, feeling deftly, professionally.

Torture would be an apt way to describe the following ten minutes, Steve’s hands were talented, and Bucky tried not to squirm, because there was absolutely nothing sexual about the way he was touching Bucky. But all the same, Bucky was suddenly assaulted with images of slick skin, sweat, a tounge deep inside of his body, being taken apart, fucking each other until they were both sated, only to start up an hour later and it was making him hard. Thank fuck for tight leather riding pants.

He was desperate to ask Steve why he never responded to his text but he didn't. It wasn’t really the time or place.

“This hurt?” Steve asked in a low voice, deft fingers dancing up Bucky’s thigh and he couldn’t help the sharp gasp, gaze flying to Steve’s when he’d let out a quiet strangled noise in response. Steve’s fingers pressed more insistently and Bucky couldn't help it. 

“Not the type of hurt you’re currently looking for.”

Steve’s fingers faltered, and shaky they started back up again, he didn’t respond, but Bucky could see the slight pink tinge travelling up Steve’s neck. And before Bucky said anything more, Steve found a genuine spot near his knee that made him cry out in the not-so-good pain.

“Jesus, right there, that’s not great,” Bucky hissed.

Steve nodded his head that he’d heard and spent time prodding and poking it much to Bucky’s dismay, it really fucking hurt.

“Nothing is broken, but I want an X-ray of your knee and your spine and neck. I need to make sure you’re okay.”

Bucky’s brows drew together at the way Steve worded his sentence, unsure if he always spoke with a slight possessive tone to his patients.

“Sure thing, you’re in charge of me.”

Steve’s flush crept up further as his blue eyes locked onto Bucky’s and he couldn’t help but swallow hard at the heat reflected in them at his flippant words. Anything but flippant in that moment. The attraction between them was undeniable, it all but crackled across the space. But with another deep inhale, Steve gave him a wan smile and ignored the tension.

“Are you in pain? Do you need anything?”

Bucky was certain the answer of ‘needing Steve’s thick dick buried in any one of his holes’ was off the table, so he shook his head.

“Unless you can keep Nat off my back for the next six years about owning a bike, then, nope - I’m peachy.”

Steve’s smile was not supposed to buckle his stomach, making it cramp at the sheer perfection that was the curve of his lips.

“Alright then, I’ll be back after your X-ray results are in,” Steve hesitated, his hand finding Bucky’s ankle and it looked like he wanted to say something else. But didn’t. He squeezed Bucky’s foot once, hand trailing off slowly as he left him alone. 

Sound rushed back in, Bucky not having heard a single outside noise as Steve stood next to him, examining him, and he groaned, aware he’d made a total dick of himself. Nat suddenly burst through the curtain, all business while pulling it back, then gave him the most infuriatingly shiteating grin.

“So Steve, hey?” She paused while snapping the curtain into place to hold it open, “How do you know him?”

“I don’t.” Bucky said quickly. Too quickly.

Natasha stalked forward with a mission, leaning over him in the guise of checking his neck brace. Narrowed green eyes came too close to his face, scrutinising him, staring deep into his eyes. He tried to avert his gaze, but he couldn’t.

“Holy shit, he’s the guy you met at speed dating last week?”

“How the actual  _ fuck _ do you do that? Seriously, I never even told you his name!” Bucky’s heart was hammering in his chest, he hoped like hell Steve was not within ear shot.

“I can read you like a book, it’s why I win all your cash at poker nights. But Steve?” She rocked back on her heels and thankfully kept her voice low, “ _ He’s _ the man who pulled you apart over and over again - our Steve, Doctor Rogers…  _ well _ , I never would have thought… he’s such a staid-”

“Nat,  _ fuck _ , you can’t say anything.”

“Why?”

“Because he didn’t acknowledge it, just glossed over the fact we’d met.”

“The fuck he did,” Nat looked like she was about to go wage a war.

“It’s fine, it was just a one-night stand, meant nothing,” Bucky lied, and could tell by the way Nat glanced sharply at him that she knew. But she let it go. There was a first for everything it seemed.

“Alright then, well I’m going to go organise your sponge bath with Sam now, then we’ll see about getting you X-rayed.”

The words sunk in as Nat walked off, Bucky calling weakly after her, “You’re joking, right? Nat? Anyone but Sam, he’ll laugh at me. Nat?”

  
  


With nary a sponge bath in sight, Bucky had been wheeled away for X-rays an hour or two later. Time was relative, especially when he couldn’t concentrate. Watching Steve in his peripheral (the ceiling was boring) flit across the emergency room, tending to patients, his laugh occasionally filtering through the loudness of people everywhere, before his voice came as a low mumble speaking to people in the sections near him, mesmerising. He couldn’t stop his consciousness from reaching out to hold onto any piece of Steve he could, yet the worst part was all the times Steve had caught Bucky staring in his direction. Knowing that Steve was only glancing his way so often because he could sense Bucky’s gaze lingering on him constantly.

It wasn’t his fault though, he’d honestly never expected to see the man he’d fallen instantly in lust with, having a visceral connection to, before becoming so totally enamoured with him after only one night together. It was like a fairy tale, a very explicit retelling of the classic meeting of strangers into something more. There was no glass slipper in this tale though. No dancing mice.

Bucky hadn’t even wanted to go speed-dating, was not supposed to be there, but Clint thrust the ticket onto him last minute after Nat casually mentioned she’d like to get a burrito with him one night. Clint to his credit had been in love with Natasha forever, and didn’t think he stood a chance, he also wasn’t very smart around her, he was an oblivious trainwreck.

Even though burrito didn’t translate into dating, Clint was taking the crumb, but Bucky knew that Nat liked him and was happy they’d started their strange mating dance.

So Bucky found himself sitting across from a class of people much higher than his usual type; Clint who ran a successful building and renovation company had spent too much money to be there, and Bucky still had no idea why Clint would want to date people so lofty and intimidating. It wasn’t his scene at all. And within the first two dates, Bucky immediately knew he was out of his depth with the Wall Street bankers and lawyers; he was only a self-employed baker who was just starting out. He’d still had flour embedded in his pinky nail.

But then Steve sat down before him, and they’d connected immediately, laughing and teasing, and had sought each other out once the formalities finalised, making out heavily against the building for twenty minutes until Steve had asked him breathlessly back to his apartment.

The rest was a blur of sex and sweat, Bucky never having had someone take care of him in a way that shattered his world view on one night stands. And when Steve wouldn’t let him leave without exchanging numbers, Bucky thought maybe he’d done it, maybe he’d met the man he was going to spend the rest of his life with,  _ well _ , it was early days, but a guy could dream.

After four days and no reply. Bucky let go of the dream.

“So you want the good or the bad news?” Steve’s voice shook Bucky from the memory of waiting impatiently for a reply to his, ‘I still can’t speak, my throat is raw, let’s do that again, but next time let's add dinner to the mix’ text.

“The bad, rip it off like a bandaid, if my leg is to be removed, just tell me.”

Steve’s grin transformed his face into boyishly good looking, “Dramatic, aren’t you? But no, bad news is you won’t be riding a bike for a while. Good news, you haven’t suffered any trauma to your neck or spine, just a few scrapes, bruises and a twisted knee.” Steve paused for a moment and it appeared he was wrestling with himself, and sighed, “I’m so glad… uh, you’re very lucky, Buck. This could’ve turned into something much more unpleasant. Just… please be careful on the roads.”

Bucky wanted to bite back and ask why it mattered - why did Steve even care how Bucky fared after he walked… limped, out of the hospital? But he didn’t, he was at heart a nice guy and realised that Steve was a doctor, took an oath to treat all patients and he was just giving good advice.

“Yeah I know, owning a motorbike means you have to be road smart not just for yourself but for everyone else out there. This guy just slipped into my peripheral." Bucky ran a hand over his face, knowing he was babbling, "I’ll make sure I’m careful so I don’t end up here again. I’m sure you have other more important emergencies to tend to than to treat my dumb ass.” Bucky joked, going for levity, but Steve just stared at him, mouth turned down.

“That’s not what I…” Steve started, then looked down at the device that had started to beep on his belt, “fuck… I mean, damn, look I’ve got to go, but I’ll organise your discharge papers, write up some painkillers, and be back soon.”

Then he was off and Bucky was left laying on the bed, still in a neck brace he was certain he could take off, but didn’t have a clue where to start - what was with all the damn straps - and unsure why Steve was coming back. Didn’t nurses usually discharge patients? Bucky had no idea to be fair, it’s not like he made a habit of going to the hospital.

Just as he was about to attempt sitting up and probably doing some actual damage to himself by trying to wrangle out of the restrictive casing around his neck, Nat came back.

“Did Steve tell you to sell the bike?”

“No, for christ sake, quit it - Helga is part of the family.” Nat’s brow was raised as she fussed about getting his belongings together, seeing his phone thankfully unsmashed and his wallet, knowing it was something nurses usually didn’t do and he softened his voice, “But he  _ did _ tell me to be safer.”

“Which is doctor-code for, sell the bike.”

Bucky didn’t answer, just motioned for her to take the brace off, which she ignored in favour of going through his chart again. After a few moments, she finally walked closer and unsnapped the torture device, Bucky immediately stretched his neck, craning it, god it felt good to get it off.

“Nat, can you take me home when you’ve finished? I just don’t feel like trying to get a taxi by myself and I’ll need someone to lean on to get up all my stairs, I’ll shout. I’m not calling Darcy, we’ve got a huge order tomorrow and I don’t want to pull her from it, I’ll call and explain what’s happened. But, yeah - you or Sam?”

Nat halted and gave him a look, a hard look, an unreadable look and paused just long enough that he was about to snap he’d just do it himself even though he was exhausted, but then Steve walked back over and Bucky’s heart leapt to attention, which was as frustrating as it was annoying.

“Sam’s gone, and I’ve got a double, sorry James, you might have to get that taxi alone, hopefully they’ll be careful with you.” Nat shrugged and put a soft and pitying note in her voice. Very un-Nat like.

“What’s this?” Steve asked as he signed off on something, then looked up, blue eyes looking between Bucky and Nat.

“Nothing...” Bucky started but was interrupted by Nat.

“Steve, you’re almost off shift right? Heading home soon?”

Bucky stared at Nat aghast, oh she did not, she  _ would _ not.

Steve seemed to take a step back, then looked at Nat properly, “yeah, I am.”

“Brilliant, can you drop James back at his place, it’s on the way to yours.”

“Nat, no -” 

“- of course,” Steve said at the same time, and Bucky’s mouth snapped shut, shocked, eyes wide as his brain flailed at the implications. Steve caught his gaze, something lurking behind the blue and Bucky was too stunned to do more than blink once. “Just give me half an hour, I have to finish up this last round, then I can take you. I mean if that’s okay with you?”

The frown on Steve’s face, not something Bucky wanted to see, because it meant his own face had formed a reaction that made Steve question his offer, and he realised a moment later when Nat gave a sharp cough, that he’d still not said anything.

“More than okay,” Bucky replied breathlessly and immediately wiped a hand over his face, feeling the heat from his skin, “I mean, yes, that would be nice, but only if it’s not too much trouble.”

“It’s sorted then, Nat you finish up here and can you pop Bucky over at the desk where I’m working today,” then those clear blue suddenly alight eyes were back on him and Bucky froze, “Peter will make sure you’re alright until I’m ready. Okay?” 

Steve then raced away with a spring to his step, while Bucky was still trying to form a sentence, a word even, feeling like he’d suffered another bout of whiplash.

“Nat,” He hissed, “no.”

“And why not?” She responded and helped him sit up and swung his legs over the side of the bed, giving him a moment as the room righted itself when his head spun. “Steve doesn’t live far away, plus he's a friend of mine,  _ and _ he said yes. You heard it straight from his mouth. It’s a nice mouth wouldn’t you say?”

“ _ Jesus,”  _ Bucky hissed, “I know what you’re doing.”

“I really don't think you do,” she replied back with a smile that looked suspiciously like the cat that got the canary. And Bucky could only follow her as she took him to the central station out of the way to wait for Steve. How was the thought of being alone with Steve again more terrifying than waking up in a hospital?

  
  


Steve came past the desk three times over the next half hour while Bucky sat flicking through his phone, trying to calm Darcy down using emojis and memes, while also trying not to follow Steve around with hungry eyes. His leg was elevated on another wheeled chair, and Peter, though busy, was actually a really nice guy, still too young to be in charge of anything other than trying to grow a beard, a feat Bucky was fairly certain was beyond him.

On the third trip past when Steve apologised to say once more he wouldn’t be too much longer, Bucky grasped his wrist, and the look of surprise on Steve’s face was enough for him to quickly let go.

“Steve, honestly, I can get a taxi alone, I’ll manage the stairs myself, it’s all good.”

“No!” Steve said too quickly, his fingers rubbing over the area Bucky’s hand had just gripped. “You’re honestly on the way, so it’s fine. Plus I want to ensure you get home and put your knee up.”

Bucky couldn’t help but chuckle, injecting a teasing note into his voice, “do you take all your patients home and give them this service?” 

Steve flushed red, looking around quickly, and Bucky exhaled through his teeth, trying to keep the disappointment out of his eyes. He knew better than to flirt, Steve had been ignoring it the whole time. He was being nice, he was a doctor, who was looking out for him, a friend of a co-worker. That’s all.

“I won’t be much longer, but please wait.” Steve finally said and his eyes managed to snare Bucky’s gaze, something indefinable in their depths, but Bucky was tired and wanted to go home and just nodded, not even attempting to work out what Steve was getting at.

As he continued to deflect Darcy via text, whilst also deflecting Nat in person (when she walked past giving him grief), he still managed to spend an inordinate amount of time watching Steve flit between emergencies and patients. Even though he’d told himself to quit it, he couldn’t, there was something about Steve that drew his eye. Now that Bucky was sitting upright in the middle of the room, the hub, he could see so much of what was going on and noted a few more doctors, countless nurses and the sheer amount of work each one did, and was quite frankly astounded. Bucky had a new appreciation for hospital staff. Not that he’d tell Nat though.

But it was always Steve who snagged his attention, he was starting to look worn around the edges, his shift - from what Bucky had overheard - almost nearing twenty hours. The exhaustion hung over Steve like a cape, and Bucky had the urge to wrap him up, make him a grilled cheese sandwich then watch tv, brushing fingers through his dirty blonde hair until Steve passed out tired on Bucky’s lap.

And whoa, that was an oddly specific fantasy.

But as much as he wanted to do all of that, offer that, Steve had made it very clear that he didn’t want to be flirted with. So Bucky would respect his wishes and back off. But as he watched Steve smile at an elderly patient who might have a broken hip, and saw the genuine care in the way he dealt with them, Bucky slumped a little. Steve, of course, just happened to be everything he was searching for. He was going to murder Nat, he didn’t need what he couldn’t have shoved in his face.

A text message from Darcy proclaiming him to be a ‘turd, who’d do anything to get out of making a hundred cupcakes each with a different photo of the same cat on them’ kept his mind off of his predicament for about twenty seconds. But it didn’t stop his eyes following the tall muscular doctor around the room. Jesus, Bucky was as predictable as he was sad.

Ten minutes later, Steve was in front of him, helping him from the chair. And Bucky was having a hard time keeping his gaze above the neck. Steve’s white t-shirt was about two sizes too small, and the light blue jeans were loose with a few rips in the knees and he shouldn’t have looked so delicious after over twenty hours on the floor dealing with emergencies. But he did.

Bucky meanwhile looked like shit.

“Do you want a wheelchair?” Steve asked, startling Bucky from his ogling, grip on his arm tight, pulling him a little closer to steady him and Bucky was a complete masochist.

“I’ll be fine, can I lean on you though if I need?”

Steve’s eyes softened so much so that Bucky almost gasped, “Of course, Buck. You, uh, you signed the discharge papers right?”

“Yeah,” Bucky said and frowned at the question, why was Steve so concerned about that? “I’m officially no longer your responsibility.”

Steve chuckled under his breath and Bucky swore he heard him whisper, ‘thank god’. But then they were off, and Bucky should have got the wheelchair. He’d wanted to lean on Steve if need be, get close on his terms, reach out and touch for the last time. But that’s not what happened.

Steve had immediately wrapped a strong arm around Bucky’s waist, pulling him in close against his side, their hips almost lining up, and they slowly made their way to the car park, because of course Steve drove in New York.

The hospital hallways and people went past in a blur, because all Bucky could see, sense,  _ feel _ was Steve’s arm around him, fingers squeezing into his side every so often as he directed him, the scent of his hard work over the last twenty hours, not off putting, but making Bucky ravenous for something else. He let out a small moan unintentionally and Steve’s fingers tightened.

“You okay? Is it your knee?” Steve asked as he stopped them at the elevators.

“Nope, sorry, just thinking.” Bucky face palmed himself, why would he say that?

“Thinking hey?” Steve teased back and Bucky looked askance at him. It was the first overtly fun tone he’d thrown Bucky’s direction. “What are you thinking about that makes you moan that prettily?”

As Bucky gaped, another nurse walked up waiting for the lift and Steve looked straight ahead at the numbers, while Bucky flushed with heat and thoughts crashed through his brain. Was Steve flirting? What the hell was happening?

They walked into the elevator a second later, another four people inside who Steve greeted with a nod of his head and a few spoken words of which Bucky heard none. His brain on high alert, the squealing of sirens in his ears. He wasn’t certain if they were an abort signal or not.

Too soon they were standing next to a sleek SUV and Bucky was glad he wouldn’t have to fold himself with an injured leg into a sports car, and just as Steve was leaning around him to get the door, he stopped.

“Steve?” Bucky questioned, but then suddenly he was pushed carefully so his back was flush with the side of the car, Steve right there, right in front of him. Pressing forward.

“God, I can’t wait any longer, I tried, I really did…” Steve trailed off, eyes intense as they flicked between Bucky’s and his lips.

“What?” Bucky managed to husk.

Steve then pressed the entirety of his body against Bucky, it was fucking glorious, he leant in, lips close, not touching and rasped, “can I kiss you?”

Bucky could only nod, confused as fuck, but not about to say no. He’d hit his knee not his head.

The relieved sigh that escaped Steve’s throat a second before his lips crashed into Bucky’s telling, but Bucky lost all coherent thought as the familiar electric current flew through his body.

Steve took what he wanted from Bucky, opening his mouth against his until he responded in kind, tongue questing forward until Bucky moaned deep in his chest, it felt like coming home.

Bucky grasped at Steve’s broad shoulders, fingers scrabbling for purchase as his mind became overwhelmed at the sensations cascading through him. He wasn’t sure if the painkillers were making him floaty or if it was Steve.

Moments later, Steve pulled back, forehead resting on Bucky’s, eyes shut and a dreamy little smile on his lips.

“I’ve wanted to do that since I saw it was you sprawled elegantly over the floor.”

Bucky couldn’t help it and pulled back as much as he could, squished against the car, Steve’s brow drawing together at the movement, “not going to lie pal, but it really didn’t seem like it.”

Steve exhaled through his teeth and ran a hand over his face, “Buck, you were a patient under my care. I couldn’t just… jump on you. No matter how much I wanted to.”

“So that’s why you asked about the discharge papers again?” Bucky asked, heat starting to burn low in his gut. Steve wanted to kiss him, him!

“Yeah, I needed you to no longer be my charge. I wanted to grab you the minute I saw you again. I know I work in an emergency department, but I swear today was one of the roughest days, because I couldn’t reach out, touch, make sure you were okay, safe, unhurt. It’s always worse when you know the person you’re treating. Thank god you’re okay.”

Bucky couldn’t help but make a disbelieving noise, not wanting to ruin the moment of Steve’s words, but also, what the hell?

“But, I don’t understand?” He paused and Steve waited, clearly not seeing the issue, “you didn't text me back after the other night? I assumed you weren’t interested?” 

“What?” Steve asked, all pretenses gone, a stunned note in his voice, “Yes I did. Text you back I mean.”

“Umm no, you really didn’t. I think I’d know if you did.”

“It was you who didn’t respond to my dinner text? I thought you’d blown me off, got a better offer, so when I saw you today I wanted to try one more time, capture your attention. Hopefully ask you out again.”

“Steve, what the fuck? There was  _ no _ dinner text.” Bucky’s heart hammered in his chest. Was this happening, was Steve really trying to tell him he wanted something more? He wasn’t the only one to feel the pull between them?

Taking a step back so there was distance between them, though Steve’s hand still gripped Bucky’s waist, Steve pulled his phone from his pocket and after a few seconds of tapping groaned loudly. 

“Fuck, it didn’t send,” he flipped the screen and Bucky could see the little text box with the exclamation mark saying not sent. The words, ‘dinner sounds perfect, bring your toothbrush so I can make you breakfast too’. His heart soared at the written words and he caught Steve’s gaze again. “I’m so, fuck, I’m so sorry. I just got busy, I’ve been on call all week and my shifts have been -”

Bucky cut Steve off by grabbing his collar and yanking him back in, lips capturing his softly, sweetly and deeply. Though a jolt to his knee made him wince and Steve swore again.

“Let’s get you home and settled in, and just for the record, I really am sorry.”

“Steve you’re a doctor, you’re busy beyond comprehension, probably don’t get enough sleep I’d say. But you know, you  _ can _ make it up to me in one or two ways.”

The smirk that graced Steve’s face at Bucky’s thinly veiled innuendo was not angelic at all, it was filthy, and he leant in and nipped at Bucky’s lip, “you’re injured though, I shouldn’t - as much as I want to.”

“I’m not injured  _ everywhere _ .” Steve sucked in a breath at his words, “plus you're a doctor, I’m sure we can work something out.”

“I’m sure we can.” Steve husked as he kissed Bucky thoroughly again before placing him in the car carefully. Bucky thrummed in anticipation. It truly was a great Wednesday.

  
  


They arrived at Bucky’s, Steve managing to somehow snag a park close by, and soon they were standing before the steps to his apartment, and with a small glance and a huge grin, Steve immediately lifted Bucky bridal style and with a strength that made him dizzy, along with his protests at being carried like he was an invalid, of which Steve replied he was, they were inside and waiting for the elevators.

Bucky waved to Mrs Daniels from the third floor as she winked at them with a thumbs up out of Steve’s view while leaving the building. He shut his eyes with a sigh, face burning. She wasn’t wrong though. Steve was definitely a specimen. And he was taking Bucky home.

“You can put me down now.” 

“I  _ could _ .” Steve replied with a smile in his voice, but didn’t move.

Bucky huffed out a small laugh and did what anyone in their right mind would if they’d found themselves in Steve’s embrace, he snuggled up, lips dragging across Steve’s jaw, the hiss of breath Steve took in making Bucky grin and nip at the skin a little more intensely.

“Buck,” Steve warned and Bucky hummed in response, now glad of his position. Let the whole building see him being carried, he didn’t care. Bucky honestly never thought he’d get this close to Steve again, have the opportunity to nuzzle, lick and kiss him. But he did, and Bucky was going to take every advantage he could.

“Floor?” Steve ground out as Bucky’s teeth tugged at his earlobe. 

“Or a bed, or sofa, I’m not fussy.” Bucky shot back, enjoying the laugh rumbling through Steve’s chest, “it’s four.” 

Bucky started to trail kisses down Steve’s neck as the elevator began to slowly ascend.

“Buck…”

“Yeah.”

“I need you to stop, because I’m embarrassingly hard and I don’t want to frighten your neighbours.”

Bucky chuckled, and behaved for the remainder of the trip.

Once they were inside and Steve deposited Bucky on the sofa, they both looked at each other for a long time, neither moving and Bucky smiled softly.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

“I feel like we’re in a really bad TV show,” Bucky laughed.

“How so?” Steve grinned as he went to the kitchen, “your glasses up here?”

Bucky twisted around as best he could, the view of Steve in his space a good one. “Yep, just mind the red chipped one. I mean how we met, the missed texts, me ending up in your emergency room. We could sell this idea to a producer and make money.”

Steve chuckled and came back with two glasses of water and sat heavily next to Bucky then groaned.

“Christ I stink, and so do you pal.”

“Shower? I have clothes that would fit you I think… even if not, I’m not going to complain if you want to walk around naked.” Bucky said with a tinge of hope and want in his voice, enjoying the way Steve’s eyes darkened immediately, tongue peeking out as he licked his bottom lip. Bucky tracked it closely.

“Full disclosure,” Steve waited a beat and Bucky tilted his head, “I want so badly to just… take you apart, you have no idea how I’ve been wanting to see you again since I met you last week, impossibly so. But, you’ve just been in an accident and need to take some painkillers and rest and well, I’m dead on my feet. And as much as I want to take you to the shower and wash you down and make you come three times before I let you out of the bathroom - how does pizza and TV sound. Boring I know, but -”

“Perfect,” Bucky interrupted with a huge smile, it was better than, but he would at least attempt to look chill, “Absolutely perfect. Plus you haven’t seen my shower, I almost have to back into it, it’s so small.”

So an hour later, both showered (separately) and dressed in some of Bucky’s old sweats and loose t-shirts, Bucky found himself living the very fantasy he’d had earlier that day. They’d eaten almost two pizzas and Steve was laying across the sofa, head in Bucky’s lap, whose leg was up on the coffee table with a cushion underneath it. Bucky’s fingers lazily carded through Steve’s blonde hair, and instead of watching the truly fascinating documentary on tardigrades, he was watching Steve doze. It was honestly the most perfect moment in time.

“Buck?” Steve asked sleepily, and Bucky scratched behind his ear, making Steve duck his head away, only to come straight back and push himself into Bucky’s fingers again. It was adorable. “Do you care if I fall asleep here, I can go if you want, but… I’d like to stay, if you’ll have me.”

“Yeah, Stevie, I’d like that. I’d like it a lot.”

The smile Steve gave him blinding, and they settled back down, the soft snores and dribble on Bucky’s lap, not at all off-putting, if anything, it endeared Steve to him more.

  
  


Bucky came to groggily, and waited for the stiffness of falling asleep on the couch to take hold, but it didn’t, because he wasn’t on the couch. He was warm, wrapped up in impossibly large arms in his bed. Steve must have woken up and carried him to bed, and for some reason it hit differently than being carried upstairs when fully conscious. There was something soft about someone taking care of him when he was unwell, seeing to his needs, ensuring he was safe and comfortable, and sure it was probably just Steve’s inherent nature to be kind, the doctor within, but Bucky thought it might be just a little extra care for him specifically, and he basked in it. 

He took stock of his pains, and was pleased to note that apart from his knee which would be tender for quite a few weeks, he was actually not too bad, felt pretty good considering.

A huge hand trailed across his torso, until it reached his side, fingers trailed down to his hip, then back again, stroking slowly, softly, then a deep, half asleep rumbling voice came from behind him.

“Hey sweetheart, you awake?” The press of warm lips left an impression on the back of his neck.

Bucky melted, the endearment paired with the sleepy murmur and kiss had his heart quickening, adrenaline spiking and he couldn’t help but wriggle backwards, seeking friction, pressing for something more, to get closer.

The chuckle that escaped Steve, thick and rasping, “I take that as a yes.”

Bucky wound his arm up to grasp the back of Steve’s head and pull him in towards his turned face, lips meeting in what was supposed to be a chaste, middle of the night kiss. But under the cover of darkness, Bucky felt more daring, wanting to capitalise on the fact he had Steve in his bed, and snaked his tongue in without pause. The quiet needy moan from Steve made Bucky’s stomach swoop, especially when Steve’s hand dragged over his skin to come back and splay over his stomach, holding him there, motionless as Steve started to wake up further, wrest more control from Bucky. It was how he wanted to wake up for the rest of his life.

“How’s your knee,” Steve husked as his lips left a hot trail down Bucky’s neck, kissing onto the skin of his shoulder, and Bucky groaned.

“It’s fine and if you stop what you’re doing just because I have knee pain, I’ll smack you.”

“Kinky, but you have knee pain so -”

“First warning,” Bucky snarked back with no heat and Steve chuckled.

“Wasn’t gonna stop gorgeous, just do things a little different to accommodate. I don’t think I could resist you much longer anyway.”

Bucky basked under the words and the way Steve’s hand slid from his stomach, lower until it forced itself under the band of his sleep shorts, fingers brushing against his already hard dick. It didn’t take much under Steve’s ministrations to harden to a degree that made him squirm and moan under his persistent touch. Steve didn’t slow down, stop to take a breath, his lips continued their hot wet open mouthed trail across his back as he started to jerk Bucky dry. 

“Fuck…” Bucky ground out, his hips pulsing in time, it shouldn’t have felt as good as it did, and Bucky had a feeling that had more to do with  _ who _ was touching him, than the fact he was being touched.

“You like that, a little rough? A little chafing?”

Bucky nodded his head in agreement and sighed as Steve’s grip loosened and suddenly his hand was gone, but it was right in front of Bucky’s face a second later before he could whine at the loss.

“Lick.”

“Wha?”

“Lick my palm, else it’ll start getting dryer, rougher, unless you like that?”

Bucky was torn, he did, he wanted it rougher, but the thought of licking Steve’s palm, getting it wet so Steve could jerk him was too hot to resist. He lathed his tongue over Steve’s large palm, the taste of his shower gel and the distinct flavour of skin sat in his mouth, he was certain he’d last all of three minutes once Steve got a hand on him again.

“Perfect, Buck. You know that - you’re perfect for me.”

Bucky exhaled as Steve grabbed him again, loving the praise and the feeling of pleasing him. But then he was lost in the sensations of a slick, deft tug, the way Steve twisted his wrist, playing as he jerked tight then loose, making Bucky gasp out punches of air as he started to swim in his brain, the sensations too good, he was nearing his orgasm, but them Steve stopped.

“Gonna prep you, want to be in you when you come, feel you tight and quivery around me.”

“Jesus, Steve…” Bucky was going to come at the husked words against his earlobe. He was in heaven, nothing would push him from the cloud he was floating on. “Bedside drawer, you’ll find what you need.”

Steve’s warmth left him a moment, and he heard rustling and the distinct sound of a condom wrapper and the snick of lube, and just as he was about to roll over carefully to his stomach, give Steve all the room he’d need, Steve caught his hip, halting the movement.

“Stay, I’ll get you ready like this, don’t want you to put weight on your knee.”

Bucky chuckled, “always a doctor.”

“Just want to look after you, that’s all.” Steve said back, the sincerity in his voice pulling something deep inside of Bucky, a place he didn’t venture very often.

His leg was then lifted, bent carefully and moved forward so it rested on a pillow, Steve’s he assumed, and although it wasn’t the greatest position, the second Steve’s fingers pressed against his hole with intent, he didn’t care. The slick coolness of the lube uncomfortable for the barest second, but the feel of Steve’s arm snaking between them to reach him, while Steve’s other arm rested under his body, curling around over his chest, holding him flush against his large chest, was making his brain explode. He felt cared for, close and completely ready to be taken apart.

Steve prepared him so well, so thoroughly that Bucky was almost crying it felt so good, he was wrung out, the anticipation almost too much, he was losing his mind in the sensations that Steve was pulling from him. The sound of the lube, wet, slurping and loud as his body readied itself to take Steve deeply, and he was already shaking, over stimulated as Steve’s fingers kept brushing up against his prostate, eliciting more gasps and groans, more praise that he was perfect and gorgeous and everything Steve was looking for. 

Soon though, Steve was pressing the head of his dick into the tightness, lifting Bucky’s leg slightly to accommodate, but oh so carefully, and he honestly didn’t care in that moment if he injured himself further, would have issues with it for the rest of his life, he just needed Steve sheathed in him, taking him,  _ owning _ him.

“You ready for me sweetheart.”

“God, yes… so ready…” Bucky breathed out and Steve slid in, catching on the rim, having to pump his hips gently to pop past and in further, until he was completely sheathed, Bucky full and breathing through it. God, it hadn’t even been a week but he’d missed it, the heat, the sheer sensation of being stuffed with Steve’s dick.

Then Steve started to pump, his hips jerking on the bed, moving them in tandem, but always so careful with Bucky’s leg. They lay like that, Steve lazily pumping into him, the pace slow and steady and driving him out of his mind. He needed more, it was too consuming, the drag of Steve through him until he almost came out, then pressing forward only to stop and grind at the end. Then he mixed it up, thrusting quick and deep for a moment, before continuing the steady pace of earlier.

Bucky was begging by that stage, not at all shamed as his breath laboured and he hiccuped Steve’s name, asking for more,  _ needing _ more. And Steve continued to soothe him, the arm wrapped around his chest grasping him tight, not letting go, holding them close, and Bucky looked over his shoulder and Steve didn’t waste a second, devouring Bucky’s lips, tongue pushing in, taking what he wanted, filling Bucky’s mouth and he was in bliss. Completely full and held against the most magnificent man he’d ever met.

Suddenly, Steve twisted them and without pulling out, Bucky was up and laying on  _ top _ of Steve, his back against Steve’s chest, and in a matter of moments, Steve was thrusting up into his body, hitting a whole new spot inside of him.

“Oh fuck… right there… holy shit… Steve… please.” Bucky was nothing more than useless words and a puppet for Steve to control, especially when a huge palm came down and started to jerk Bucky at the same time as he slid up and into him. Steve’s strokes still timed perfectly, but going deeper as he positioned Bucky better, moving him up so their lips were only an inch apart, sharing breath, staring at each other as he slipped in and out of his hole.

It was the most fucking perfect moment of Bucky’s life.

Then Steve’s hand gripped his hip, the other still jerking him into oblivion, and Bucky felt Steve bend his knees and brace his feet before starting to pound into him. Rough, deep and on the verge of throwing Bucky off. But he held on, clenching around Steve, making him grunt out in surprise.

“Shit, you’re too much, feel too good.”

Bucky couldn’t respond, on the cusp himself, and with just a few deft yanks later, he was vibrating, “Stevie, shit, I’m gonna…. oh god… yes…”

“Gorgeous, so damn gorgeous.” Steve said each word punctuated with a slam of his hips, and Bucky was coming all over his stomach, his chest, even his chin. He was a ball of nothing but nerve endings, the ecstacy of the moment and Steve’s hands over him, Steve _ in _ him, was too much and he swore he blacked out for a second because next moment Steve was coming with a shout, hands holding Bucky’s hips down, pulsing inside of him and Bucky wanted them to have the STI chat immediately, wanting to feel Steve come in him, have it leak out of him when he stood up.

Soon though, Bucky came back into himself, Steve stroking his jaw, staring into his eyes which he knew were glassy, sated and extremely happy.

“There you are, you okay?”

“Yes, and if you ask about my knee again, I’ll think you have a knee kink.”

Steve chuckled and ducked forward to give Bucky a lingering kiss on the lips. “Maybe I do, I like to tickle behind them, kiss them, maybe even bite them.”

“Okay, sold, you can have a knee kink.”

Steve smiled indulgently, holding Bucky’s gaze, his fingers still cupping Bucky’s jaw and the entire moment felt more intimate than the fact Steve’s softening dick was still in his body.

“I hate that you were hurt, but god am I glad I saw you again yesterday. I really did reply, well, I attempted to, but you know what I mean.”

Bucky grinned widely, “Same pal, maybe I should send the guy who clipped me a fruit basket.”

Steve chuckled, “Maybe not, I still want to rip him a new one for hurting you, but yeah I get the sentiment.”

They lay for a moment more, exchanging lazy kisses, enjoying the moment, until Steve finally got up to find something to clean them off with and dispose of the condom. And as Steve fossicked around his house, Bucky lay sated and grinning like a loon.

Wednesday was officially the best day of the week. Hands down.

  
  


“So have you said the important words yet?” Natasha asked Steve over the rim of her wine glass. And Bucky cringed, she was not subtle at all.

“We’ve only been dating three months, Nat. What do you think?” Steve replied levelly and Bucky was impressed, Steve either had balls of steel or did not value his life.

Narrowed green eyes suddenly flicked to capture Bucky in their trajectory. It was unnerving and he’d never appreciated being on the end of her intense looks.

“Nat, you should let them come to it naturally.” Sam scolded as he topped up their wine, sharing a quick look with Riley before he winked at Bucky. His friend group was amazing and painful all at the same time.

“I think they should do it now, in front of us all.”

“Nat,” Bucky warned, not liking where this entire conversation was going. It was going to get awkward and very soon if she didn’t quit it. 

Instead he turned in shock when Steve exhaled through his teeth and spoke, “fine, but if this comes back to bite me on the ass, it’s your fault.”

Natasha sat back with a satisfied smirk on her lips, Clint patting her knee, supporting her as always and Bucky held in the eye roll at the entire fiasco. But when Steve grabbed his hand, making Bucky look around, staring into blue eyes so very familiar, a pair he loved nothing more than to wake up next to as much as they could manage, and felt his heart start to race. He really didn’t want to do this in front of the others. But it seemed like it was happening.

Swallowing tightly, Steve took in a deep breath, looking nervous and Bucky wanted to reassure him, but couldn’t find the words.

“Bucky,” Steve paused, and ran a hand over his face before resolve took over his features. “We’ve been dating a while now, and I really need to tell you something.”   
“Sure, Stevie,” Bucky said, nerves jangling.

“I need you to sell Helga, I don’t ever want to walk into a hospital emergency room again and see you, or get the phone call that you’d been taken in.”

The room immediately erupted, everyone taking Steve’s side and Bucky let out a loud sigh, knowing for a while that this was coming.

“Is tonight’s games night an intervention?” Bucky asked and by the quick looks between everyone he huffed out a laugh, “you guys are unbelievable.”

Pulling out his phone he pulled up the bike sales app and showed the rest of the group. 

“She’s already up for sale, I have a guy coming tomorrow to look at her, happy now?” 

Steve immediately tugged him in close, kissing him chastly, “You’d already organised it?”

“Yeah, I wanted to surprise you, but being in this group - that’s almost impossible.”

“God I love you,” Steve rasped and kissed him again.

“Love you too, you jerk. Now whose turn is it now?”

And as Nat and Riley argued over who should go next, Bucky sat back, fingers finding Steve’s under the table and held on, with no intentions of ever letting go again.

**Author's Note:**

> So next AU is 'Childhood Friends' and - I really like what's eventuated with that one! But I have another bingo fill in between and then I may have to take a little break as I have a wonderful Marvel Trump's Hate fic(s) to create for my amazing bidder! (It's going to be epic and fun!)
> 
> But never fear - I'll be back to these soon - I mean I did promise 31 AU Fics after all... 😳


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